


Summer Reading

by Sakurucha



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 21:12:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7986388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakurucha/pseuds/Sakurucha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All you wanted to do was finish your summer reading list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Summer Reading

Sunlight, with its rays unbroken by the clear sky stretching overhead, dancing upon the crests of waves… a soft breeze scattering the loose grains of sand upon the long, coastal stretch…

And, sectioning you off from the sun’s reach, a quaint umbrella’s shade.

…Oh, and a pest.

You came… no, were _forced_ to join the RFA on a beach trip. It was, as Seven jokingly put it, in the name of “bonding,” or something along those lines. Though there was nothing wrong with a nice day at the beach, you had other plans for the rest of your summer. Indoor plans. Unfortunately for you, Jaehee and Zen decided that it actually might be a good idea for all of you to have a relaxing day together, considering all the madness of the recent events that brought you into the organization in the first place.

A reward for the success of the last party, if you will.

It wasn’t until Jumin mentioned that he would pay for the food that you became complacent with the situation. And, they promised you could do whatever you wanted… well, that is, given you agreed to come.

So, today you strived to complete a nice chunk of your summer reading list without a mind for even touching the water. Surely they would understand. You brought a healthy stack of books to keep yourself distracted for the afternoon; they dragged you here around six in the morning, so you anticipated that you would have plenty of time.

What you foolishly didn’t anticipate was Seven’s persistence.

Chin set lazily upon the top of your head with his arms slung around your shoulders, Seven hummed softly as he stared at the book in your hands. He reached out with one hand, as though to flip the page, but you tapped it away. With a protesting whimper, he then sank forward into you. “Aaand… how many books is that now?”

“Three,” you replied with a half-hearted sigh, now turning the page for yourself despite the handicap looming over you.

He clicked his tongue loudly in response, throwing his head back in mock frustration. Slowly he swayed side to side, arms pulling you along with him in an attempt to stir you from the novel in hand. “Three’s enough, don’t you think? There’s no point in the beach unless you get in the water! Puh-leeease.”

Your response: another sigh, and a roll of your eyes–without moving them from the book in front of you. Guilty as you felt with him persistently begging you here while everyone else busied themselves, you were rather determined not to give in to his demands. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to join him, but… You were at a really good part. It would be almost criminal to stop reading at this point. “I’m perfectly fine with sitting here. Reading… in silence, maybe?”

“Hmm…” Slowly he slid his arms away, and you thought maybe, just maybe, you were finally safe from his pleading assault.

You should have known by now that naivety like that was a mistake, especially whenever Seven was concerned.

He scooped you into his arms without warning. “I guess desperate times call for desperate measures!” Your shocked squeak was accompanied by his bright laughter; as you scrambled to either settle yourself or escape his arms, you inevitably dropped your book into the sand… as was likely a part of his plan all along. He didn’t even give you a chance to try to pick it up–it was safe under the umbrella, even if in the sand–before he started towards the waves with a spring to his step and a reluctant lady in his arms.

Your desperate, nonverbal cues to the other RFA members fell on deaf ears. Jumin and Jaehee, of course, were of no help whatsoever; Jumin might actually have been secretly amused by this and thus _pretended_ not to notice from behind his sunglasses while Jaehee already noted the futility in coming to your assistance. She would scold Seven later. Zen, who was still nearby and taking a beach selfie in this _perfect_ afternoon sunlight, only laughed at your misfortune when he heard your squeak and realized what was happening. Yoosung, damn him, only encouraged Seven, calling for him to hurry over… he couldn’t deny that it was also rather nice to not be the subject of Seven’s mischief for once.

With all of them against you, you had no choice other than to… well, complain. And beg. “O-oh my god, Seven, put me down!”

“Your god, hm?” He didn’t stop; instead, he did the opposite. He brought you a bit closer, further securing you in his arms to a point where you could barely so much as flail. There was no way you were getting out of this one… dry, at least. “Only if you’ll come into the water willingly, but that wouldn’t be much fun either…”

“But, my book!” You, of course, were a little too frantic to explain at length exactly _why_ you were so caught up in reading. Honestly, you thought today would be like any other lazy day, only this time upon the sand and under an umbrella. You didn’t expect that Seven would have other plans for you.

“Can wait.” Despite your pleading look, he only pouted back at you before grinning broadly again. “The beach won’t!”

You tried, in vain, to keep wiggling your way out of his arms; the lapping of the waves grew tauntingly close, just now wetting the tips of Seven’s toes. “H-hold on, Seven, what about my clothes?! I don’t even have a bathing suit!” If it was any consolation, you weren’t wearing white.

He stopped walking momentarily to express his shock. “Haaa?! Who’s problem is that! You came to the beach! Beach! Water! You should have expected this~.” Another step towards salty doom.

“I-I thought I was going to read the whole time… and eat…” You muttered under your breath, pursing your lips.

Seven only shrugged in response. “Oh well! Too late, off we go, into the water where you belooong…”

“Seven..!”

You were at least thankful he didn’t _toss_ you into the water. Instead, he continued to hold you, cheerfully walking along against the casual beating of the waves despite your protests until both of you were mostly submerged.

“Cold! Cold!!” You scrambled in his arms to no avail, your clothes heavy and clinging, though swaying slightly with the waves. “Seven, put me down! We’re in the water now, so there’s no reason to hold me anymore!”

It was only when you looked up at him to complain that you realized exactly how close your faces were. You didn’t realize _when_ it happened, but you were now faced with a clear view of his bright, golden eyes as they watched yours for your reaction.

You didn’t feel cold anymore… your cheeks, at least, were incredibly warm.

“Do I have to?” Though his voice still held its teasing lilt, there was an unprecedented seriousness in it absent thus far today.

“A-ah… um… You should,” you managed to stammer as a reply, retreating slightly into your shoulders. You looked at him from behind your lashes, now sprinkled with the slightest bit of seawater, as though attempting to hide from his steady gaze.

Going to the beach was a mistake.

That is what you told yourself as he held you in his arms, in public for god’s sake, and you couldn’t tell whether he was serious or not. This was Seven. Seven! He could very well drop you at any time with a ringing “Just kidding!” to accompany the prank.

Or… he could be serious.

A quiet chuckle, matching the pounding in your ears, was his immediate response. “And if I don’t… want to~?” He leaned dangerously closer, his now face only centimeters from yours. You couldn’t respond; your voice refused to comply, and you couldn’t help but stare back at him as he watched you with those eyes filled with both mischief and… affection, as deep as the ocean in which he held you.

If he had one or two seconds more, your lips would have touched. But…

A large wave ruined that moment.

Yoosung had _tried_ at least to warn the two of you, but to no avail. The waves conveniently knocked you both off your feet, finally freeing you from his arms… but into the mercy of the waves. You were both dragged towards the shore before being messily set at a point in the water where your heads barely stuck above the passing, more innocent waves.

In the aftermath, you simply stared at each other… before bursting into laughter at how ridiculous you looked now. Seven had a large piece of kelp stuck to his head that just looked so silly in how it covered half his face while another adorned his shoulder; you wore a confused expression with hair disheveled and clothes heavy and sticking to your skin with the seawater. Although, you were at least spared the attention of the kelp.

“That’s what you get for dragging me into the water,” you reasoned through peals of laughter as he plucked the seaweed from his head, completely missing the one on his shoulder.

Kelp now in hand, he waved it a little as he spoke. “It made you smile, so it’s fine.” He stretched his arms overhead before he was buffeted by another small wave. “Now then… your turn,” he sang, standing up and reaching over to place the kelp on your head… though not until after he reached into the water to grab another one.

You used that brief moment as the perfect opportunity to escape. “Oh, no way! Gross!” You sprang to your feet and ran despite the heaviness of your clothes. He chased you for quite a while with that piece of kelp, among other things he found in the water, before you decided to take vengeance and return the favor.

Safe to say, your book was forgotten the rest of the afternoon.


End file.
